Where I Post New Stuff

Steve Ditko, RIP

As it’s been a while since the news broke, I thought it was about time to mention Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man (and lots of others), who died late in June, aged 90.

He was always one of my major art influences. He had a unique eye and a memorably distinctive style that persisted to the very end. I was one of the ‘faithful’, I guess; those who followed Steve’s work throughout. It was always worth looking at, even if he favoured a very stripped-down approach later in life.

90 is a good run, and he lived it on his own terms. I did not agree with some of his views—I’m not big on Ayn Rand’s philosophy, for instance—but I respected him thoroughly, and was largely in sympathy with his thoughts on intellectual property and etc. He was a man who would put principle firmly ahead of a fast buck—rather like Alan Moore, but rather unlike most people. I was lucky enough to correspond with him for a while, some years ago… I always intended to write to him again and catch up, but I never got around to it… that’s life, isn’t it.